Can you believe it’s only been 4 months and already we have a handful of new openings, coming soons, and recent closings – it’s been a wild couple of months! And while you all stay busy focusing on work, family, friends, school, and enjoying your life as one should, the Portland Old Port team will take care of laying out the nitty gritty details of what’s happening in Portland’s culinary world.
Here’s a rundown of the new openings, recent closings, and coming soons to Portland, Maine for January 2023 – April 2023 (so far).
Did we miss you? Kindly email us at info@portlandoldport.com.
New Openings
Papi
Launched by the Miranda Group, the minds behind Blyth & Burrows and ViA VECCHiA, Papi, Portland’s newest Puerto Rican Bar and Kitchen opened at 18 Exchange Street mid-March.
Located in the heart of the Old, Papi is pure- unadulterated Puerto Rican joy. A blend of old San Juan-meets the Old Port, Papi draws inspiration from childhood nostalgia of its founders, Executive Chef Ronnie Medlock and Beverage Director LyAnna Sanabria.
Papi’s Puerto Rican inspired menu features Serenata, a salted cod and root vegetable plate; Carne Estofado, a short rib with yucca mash and corn relish; signature Beef Empanadas, a savory fried pastry stuffed with cheese and picadillo, and more. Over at the bar, enjoy bold and playful cocktails such as the Papi Douro with guava, mulled port wine, armagnac, pimienta rosada, panela; the Sadie Pop with rye, rojo vermouth, passion fruit, vanilla angostura; and the Yoni Walker with scotch, bergamot, tamarind, and coco rico.
Hours are Wednesday – Sunday starting at 4 PM.
Find the full rundown on Papi in our spotlight.
Lenora
Opening its doors at 2 Portland Square in early February, Lenora serves up a Mexican street food inspired menu with agave forward cocktails and a lager focused beer program.
Owned and operated by Jen and Rian Wyllie, Lenora is open daily for breakfast and an all day menu. Counter service breakfast runs from 7 AM – 11 AM and includes bodega sandwiches, grab-n-go breakfast tacos, pastries, fruit parfaits with local yogurt, fresh fruit + lime curd, fresh juices and an espresso bar. Switching over to their all day menu at 11 AM, enjoy tacos, tostadas, street corn, cantina wings, escabeche, tortas and more. Margaritas and varying cocktails such as the Rosita with 14 blanco tequila, aperol, sweet and dry vermouth, house mole bitters, and the Oaxacan Rose made with mezcal, lemon, grapefruit juice, liqueur, orange, peychaud’s bitters, available under Lenora’s cocktail menu.
Open daily from 7 AM – 11 AM.
The Ugly Duckling
Opening doors at 246 Danforth Street back in early February, The Ugly Ducking is the West End’s newest bakeshop and luncheonette.
Launched by lma Lopez and Damian Sansonetti – the co-owners of Chaval – The Ugly Duckling is suited for grab and go, or for sit down at its horseshoe bar. Offering up a selection of baked goods, house sandwiches, english muffins, and brunch items, The Ugly Duckling additionally offers Speckled Ax espresso-based drinks, drip coffee, loose leaf tea, Maine Root Kombucha, and daytime cocktails.
Currently open for breakfast for now Tuesday-Thursday from 8 AM -12 PM with plans to expand hours and menu to 6pm for five days a week.
LB Kitchen
While not a newcomer to the Portland scene, LB Kitchen did open at its new location at 255 Congress Street back in January of 2023.
Moving just steps from their former spot at 249 Congress Street (soon to be the new home of Quanto Basta), owners Bryna Gootkind and Chef Lee Farrington spent 2022 renovating the new space to include a 21- seat dining room featuring cafe tables, window bar seating, and a wellness focused minimart. Patio and sidewalk seating is expected during the warmer months.
Known for their health focused smoothies, bowls, grains, toasts, LB Kitchen’s wellness-focused minimart includes chocolate, vitamins, juice, wellness shots, and more.
Open 7 days a week from 8 AM – 6 PM.
Thai Essan
Relocating to the former home of Back Bay Grill at 65 Portland Street, Thai Essan owners Ben Boonseng and Siwaporn Roberts reopened in March.
Thai home cooking, the new location features menu classics and specials. Open for counter-service dine-in and takeout, beer and wine are additionally available for purchase.
Thai Essan closed their former location on Forest Avenue after a fire in 2021.
Open Tuesday – Sunday 11 AM – 9 PM.
Bread & Friends
The culmination of four friends’ passion for hospitality, food and a good time, opening day for Bread and Friends’ brick and mortar bakery and cafe at 505 Fore Street is set for Sunday, April 9th, 2023.
Launched by separate couples Maggie Rubin (operations/business), Jeremy Broucek (culinary), Tanner Rubin (bread), and Jess Rattey (pastry), this Bay Area team settled into their new home in Portland initially by selling at local farmers markets back in 2021.
Fostering community
through delicious food that is meant to be shared, Bread and Friends products are inspired by the seasons and rooted in stories only food can inspire. Guests will be able to enjoy bakery offerings, breakfast and lunch service, coffee, tea, beer and wine.
Opening Sunday, April 9th from 8 AM – 2:30 PM.
Room for Improvement
Brought to Portland by Arvid Brown (former bar manager at Crispy Gai) and Nick Coffin, Room For Improvement will be a modern dive bar located at 41 Wharf Street.
Set to open April 13th, 2023, Room for Improvement will serve beer, wine, cocktails and some snacks. From what was reported back end of the year, the extensive cocktail menu will be broken up into six categories: Wildcards, Escapism, Large Format, Classics, The Freezer, and Shots. They’ll also serve an abbreviated food menu with an American-classic vibe, featuring a Crispy Bologna Sandwich, Pretzels with dipping sauces, Truffle Ruffles, and for dessert a Fernet Rootbeer Float, an Ice Cream Sandwich and Brandy Alexander.
Recent Closings
Bull Feeney's
After months of whisperings and wonderings of what lies ahead for Bull Feeney’s, news broke that Bull Feeney’s would be closing for good after 21 years of serving the community with live music, dancing, late nights, Irish pub food and beer, and lots of good times.
Owner Doug Fuss announced their last weekend of business just days after their first St. Patrick’s Day celebration since 2019, which was an annual affair prior to COVID. Bull Feeney’s doors closed Sunday, March 26th, 2023, but not before hosting one last night of live music, dancing, and community.
Captain Sam's Ice Cream
Announcing via Instagram, Captain Sam’s Ice Cream has closed its Portland location and moving to “other ports”.
A family-owned and operated business, Captain Sam’s handcrafts their homemade ice cream in small batches using only the best ingredients from Maine and away. Their recipes reflect their family’s heritage from New England and the Deep South, taking special care in selecting what goes into the ice cream.
Rosemont Market + Wine Bar
Rosemont Market + Wine Bar announced in late December of 2022 that the Thompson’s Point location would be closing after the holiday season to “allocate their resources from this location towards their other 7 neighborhood markets.” Rosemont Market & Bakery currently operates three markets in Portland and one in Scarborough, Yarmouth, Falmouth and Cape Elizabeth.
In addition to grab and go market items, Rosemont Wine Bar & Market operated as a full-service wine bar offering guests a welcoming, neighborhood spot to experience Rosemont’s robust and intentionally curated wine program. The menu featured hand-selected local cheese, scratch-made dips and spreads from the kitchen, specialty cured meats, and fresh baguettes from their bakery.
Rivalries
Reported back in February, Rivalries announced that they would be closing their Portland sports bar location.
Known as one of Portland’s most popular sports bars for football Sundays, or for a snack before catching a Maine Mariners game right across the street at the Cross Insurance Arena, Rivalries served the community for over twenty years. After being hit hard by the pandemic in terms of staffing, food costs, and more, Rivalries’ owners Amy and Lance Meader sold the space (but not the name) to Bobby Will, owner and Chef of Bar Harbor’s Salt & Steel seasonal restaurant. Bobby Will plans to reopen the space as Thistle & Grouse sometime this summer (more on that further down). Rivalries’ Falmouth location remains open.
For more on the story, head to our February feature.
Pat's Pizza
Pat’s Pizza announced that its Market Street location will be closing after 14 years in the Old Port, with Friday, April 7th – 9th, 2023 being its last weekend of operation.
This comes after Portland Council renewed the liquor license for Pat’s Pizza despite police concerns back in January 2018 after a high number of police calls to the location. A reason for closing was not stated.
The Portland location said it would offer free food with a drink purchase on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as it gets rid of inventory.
Ruby's West End
After announcing the closing of their West End location at 64 Pine Street for relocation to a new space at 642 Congress Street, the former home to Ada’s Pasta, Ruby’s West End owners Matt and Corrinna Stum made the heartbreaking announcement that Ruby’s West End has met its end in Portland.
The original plans called for renovating the former space and menu in order to service brunch, lunch and dinner. The Stum’s opened Ruby’s in April of 2021, and recently launched Back River Bistro in Wiscasset. Back River Bistro will remain open.
Coming Soon
Portland is busier than ever with a lot building out and coming soon. Find below a list of restaurants, bars, bakeries, and more, that have announced within the last 4 months that they are coming soon.
Tie it all together with our “Coming Soon: 2023 Portland, Maine Anticipated Restaurant Openings”.
Rebel Cheesesteaks
Rebel Cheesesteaks Owner Peter Murphy has announced that he will be opening a bar called Rebel Munchies & Libations at 649 Congress Street in Portland.
Originating as a food cart with pop-ups at Howie’s Pub and Portland Zoo, this new venture will include an expansion on the current Rebel Cheesteaks menu and will include a full bar.
Taco A Go Go
Just recently announced, Taco A Go Go will be the newest restaurant in the One Canal Plaza renovation – a $10 million capital improvement investment that will bring new life to the area and cater to the growing demand for high-quality restaurants and retail spaces.
Set to open sometime this Summer 2023 in the space formerly owned by Copper Branch, Taco A Go Go is undertaken by owners of popular restaurants Nosh, CBG, and the anticipated Continental Restaurant. A California surfer inspired taco restaurant, with a clean and fun menu of various tacos, tortas, and other tasty specials, Taco A Go Go will additionally emphasize a vibrant cocktail program that is tequila-focused and includes a selection of blended drinks.
For further details, find our full story.
Portland Distilling Company
As reported back in February, Portland Distilling Company will be coming to the city late summer/early fall 2023 with a location at 135 Walton Street, in the Woodfords neighborhood.
Creative Directors of Exchange Street’s Blyth & Burrows, Caleb Landry and Adam “Couch” Sousa, have partnered with CFO Matt Brown to bring a new line of fine liquors that will ship across the entire state of Maine. Landry and Sousa are planning on rolling out a cocktail gin to start, with more recipes to come down the road.
Portland Distilling Company will be a production-only location but will offer special seating for private tours and tastings.
For the full story, head to our rundown.
Thistle & Grouse
Initially reported as part of Rivalries’ closing details, Thistle & Grouse will be opening in the former Rivalries location at 10 Cotton Street in Portland.
Rivalries owners Amy and Lance Meader sold the space (but not the name) to Bobby Will, owner and chef of Bar Harbor’s Salt & Steel seasonal restaurant. He says he plans to do some minor renovations to the space, and hopes to open his new “hyper locally sourced gastropub,” Thistle & Grouse sometime this summer.
Orange Bike Brewing Company
Portland, Maine’s first dedicated Gluten-Free brewery, Orange Bike Brewing is hoping to open its tasting room and outdoor courtyard sometime this summer/ fall of 2023 at 31 Diamond Street in East Bayside.
As stated on the website, Orange Bike Brewing, “is on a quest to produce world class beer, that is also proudly gluten-free, and to create a mission-oriented business focused on the triple bottom line — social, environmental, and financial good.”
Orange Bike Brewing is founded by Tom Ruff, while Fork Food Lab c0-founder, Neil Spilane will head as COO with Alan Pugsky as brewmaster.
Soul Food Paradise
With an original location in the Maine Mall, owner Martin Beavers has announced that Soul Food Paradise will be relocating to Portland at 24 Preble Street.
Adjacent to Dutch’s and across from Slab, Soul Food Paradise’s location is in the former home of Arcadia National Bar, which is now located at 504 Congress Street. The expansive new location features a seating area and bar, and will be family-friendly with an emphasis on fun and personality. As stated on Instagram, “we want to bring our personality out and bring more people together also show more of the African American culture.” The menu will feature additional soul food classics.
Sould Food Paradise hopes to be open around June of 2023.
Cantina Calafia
Over at the former Bonobo pizza, which closed early Summer of 2022, owners Dominique Gonzalez and Justin Grey have been working hard to renovate and reopen their new restaurant venture in Bonobo’s place, Cantina Calafia.
With hopes to open in spring of 2023, Cantina Calafia will be a reflection of Gonzalez’s family roots – father was from Guadalajara and her mother was the daughter of Mexican immigrant and lived in Santa Barbara. More to come!
Double Great Coffee
When one door closes another door opens. Back in December Portland Old Port reported that Munjoy Hill’s staple cafe, Hilltop Coffee would be closing its doors.
In replacement, Double Great Coffee will pick up where Hilltop Coffee left off, becoming the new neighborhood hangout and cafe. Focusing on American and European coffee, Double Great Coffee will operate as an espresso bar, tonic bar and a cafe serving wellness drinks.
Double Great Coffee’s location is 100 Congress Street, Portland, Maine. Double Great Coffee hopes to open this spring.
